1. Field
The present invention relates to the use of atomic layer deposition to modify the surface of substrates used in nanoimprint lithography
2. Description of the Related Art
Atomic layer deposition (ALD), originally known as atomic layer epitaxy (ALE), is an advanced form of vapor deposition. ALD processes are based on sequential, self-saturated surface reactions. Examples of these processes are described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,058,430 and 5,711,811. Due to the self-saturating nature of the process, ALD enables almost perfectly conformal deposition of films on an atomic level and precise control of the thickness and composition of the deposited films.
In semiconductor and optical applications, there is an increasing need for nanopatterning techniques. Typically, UV lithography is used. However, nanoimprint lithography (NIL) has recently gained a lot of interest as a low cost, high throughput and high resolution process. In NIL, mechanical deformation of an imprint resist is used to create a pattern for subsequent processing.